Over the course of the season, ACL injuries have hit the girls’ basketball world hard and have sidelined the top talent in the Metroplex this season and in the state.
This past week, another top talent was sidelined as De Soto’s Sa’Myah Smith, a four-star recruit and the top-ranked player in the Class of 2022 by ESPN, is out for the remainder for the season.
Smith picked up this injury in the championship game of the Sandra Meadows Classic against Duncanville back on December 28.
It is rare to see top players get hurt by one injury but one a question that may be repeatedly asked is if there is any rest for players coming into the high school season after the summer circuit.
Many basketball players nowadays play year-round, if they want to be seen as a top talent or a rising star in their respective team but now, if you don’t play club, travel or any kind of AAU basketball in the summer, your high school career is all that you have in order to have a lasting impression on the recruits.
Some long-time basketball fans can recall three years ago where there was a big discussion on whether summer leagues in the basketball community was harming the game and taking a toll on players.
But in the present day, the summer circuit is big and unfortunately, overshadows high school careers with the “exposure,” brand being a big part of why.
The summer circuit may be good for the media exposure but in the long term, it can take a toll on a player’s body in order to stay fit for the high school season, the career that should be the main part of a player’s career when having exposure in the basketball season.
It is very unfortunate that in today’s world where social media is everything that all a player needs is a summer league highlight reel from what they did in the course of the summer season and that is the main key for them to get prime exposure.
All players should focus on their high school career, as we all focus on what a player does in high school, not in the summer. If summer ball might be a thought for you to expand your game, explore other options as long-term health for your high school season could be affected.
District play is in full swing
Aside from the injuries, district play has started across the state and the first gameday brought many surprises, buzzer beats and upsets in the Lone Star State.
In 6A, Irving MacArthur may have found their groove, picking up a pair of victories over Irving Nimitz and Lewisville Hebron. Baylor signee Hannah Gusters recorded 50 points in the win over Nimitz on Tuesday and is nominated for statewide player of the week.
In 2A, Martin’s Mill extended their winning streak to 103 and 141 in district play as they topped North Hopkins, 93-12, in their 14-2A opener.
There is still plenty of basketball left to be played in the final four weeks of the regular season.
District races to watch this week
28-6A
If you can find out what this district race is, best of luck to you.
With O’Connor topping Holmes, the top four race is interesting with Clark leading the way at 7-1. Brandeis and Taft are in the playoff race with Brennan coming behind at 5-4 and should not be slept on.
11-2A
Era and Muenster took care of business in day one in district play and now, the top two teams in Texhoma face off for early district supremacy. Poolville is also a solid team that also has been ranked by the TABC along with Alvord, who is a solid team also seeing a period of being ranked by the TABC. Tuesday will be a big day for the toughest five-team district in 2A basketball.
3-5A
Surely, you know about this district being the toughest in all of 5A girls’ basketball but the third and fourth place playoffs spots will be the battle to watch with a four-way tie including Lubbock Copper, Plainview, Palo Duro and Randall. Tuesday kicks off round two of district play and it’s a big night with Amarillo High traveling to Lubbock Cooper being the game of the night in the district.
Teams of the week
This is an accolade that we will give out for the rest of the regular season for deserving teams that may have surprised the state in district or a team that has been dominant in their district and are a state tournament contender.
The 6A team of the week belongs to Richmond George Ranch. The Lady Horns are 4-0 in district play and 22-4 in the season, as they have key wins over Houston Westside and are riding a 12-game winning streak. George Ranch travels to Pearland, where they face Pearland Dawson and are idle on Friday.
In 5A, Wichita Falls Rider may be one of the hottest teams in the state as they picked up a solid win over Abilene Wylie. ROHO bring in a freshman group that has talent and will be a threat in 5A in the next realignment, pending where they are grouped with. Fans may bring up that Abilene Wylie is a young team trying to find their footing but nonetheless, a win is a win.
Argyle are deserving to be our team of the week in 4A, where they have to fought off an upset-minded Bridgeport team that took them to the final seconds. We could see three meetings between these two teams with the second meeting in district and potentially in the regional final. 8-4A will be a fun district to keep track of as the season progresses.
Daingerfield are a team that no one is talking about in 3A, as they hold a 5-0 record in 15-3A. The Lady Tigers picked up district wins over Waskom and Elysian Fields in a battle for district supremacy. Fans might remember a period where Daingerfield was struggling and needed a jolt. Marcus Latimore has done just that and is in the discussion for the 3A coach of the year.
This is a senior-laden team led by Jaclyn Garrett, who averages a team-high 17.2 points per game, with two more in double-figures in scoring.
San Saba was victorious in a 27-2A clash over Mason, two teams who are usually 1-2 in the region and this year could be the same way for the two rivals. The Lady Dillos are young and will look to gain more big-game experience as they face Harper tomorrow.
Claude is a team on the rise and with the exit of New Home and Ropes in 1A, this team could be a state title contender once again. The Lady Stangs were big winners in 2-1A, picking up wins against Shamrock and White Deer to move to 5-0 in district play. With regional finalists McLean also in district, whom they topped in the first day in league play. Claude are a team to watch come playoff time and if they get a draw that favors them, they could make a run to the regional tournament, two years early with four freshmen in the starting lineup.
